


4/02/2019: Changes

by pop_incognito



Series: 365 Drabbles [35]
Category: Free!
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Goodbyes, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 09:17:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17680685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pop_incognito/pseuds/pop_incognito
Summary: Sousuke's flight back to Japan leaves in five hours.





	4/02/2019: Changes

**Author's Note:**

> The final part of Sourin's adventures in Australia! This has been a fun mini-series to write, and I'm thinking of turning it into a full blown fic at some point. Hope y'all like this part.

Sousuke’s flight back to Japan leaves in five hours, and he can’t quite process the fact that he’s about to go back to being Rin-less for another three months before Sousuke can either get more time off to fly out to Australia, or Rin makes a surprise visit to Japan. It’s a big, constant change for Sousuke, periods of having Rin and not having Rin until one of them simply bites the bullet and makes a permanent move. Sousuke, who manages a restaurant and is still undergoing physical therapy for his shoulder, has already started looking into Australian residential visas that will last until the end of Rin’s education visa, but he isn’t going to tell Rin that until he is sure that it will all work out properly.

“Hey,” Rin’s voice breaks Sousuke’s intense stare-off with the airport vending machine, and Sousuke blinks, turning his head to look at his fiancé. “What’re you thinking about?” Rin asks, eyebrows drawn in quizzically. “You look like you’re trying to melt a hole in the Coke cans.”

“I’m gonna miss you,” Sousuke says, his mouth doing that thing where it says words before they’ve been filtered through his brain. He clicks his tongue, feels heat starting to rise in his face. “I mean,” he clears his throat gruffly, “I’m not sure when I’ll get time off again, so you’d better come visit me soon.”

Rin looks at Sousuke with wide, vulnerable eyes for a few seconds. “I’m gonna miss you too,” he says, and Sousuke can already hear the tell-tale wobble in Rin’s voice, so he surges forwards to catch Rin up in his arms.

“You can’t start crying yet,” Sousuke rushes to say, curling his fingers in the end of Rin’s ponytail, wrapping warm, crimson hair up in his hand. “We’ve still got heaps of time to wait.” He pulls back enough to brush his thumb under Rin’s eyes to catch the few stray tears that have welled up, and then kisses the tip of Rin’s nose. “You don’t get to cry until I’m going off to passport control.”

“I’m not crying,” is Rin’s automatic response, but the shiny wet gleam in his eyes says otherwise. He sniffles, and headbutts Sousuke’s chest affectionately, winding his arms around Sousuke’s waist over the awkwardly placed arm of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. “Shut up.” He wipes his face on Sousuke’s shirt and laughs at the indignant sound that Sousuke makes in response. “Do you have everything? Boarding passes, passport, headphones?” He squints a little. “Did you pack your wallet? All of the presents for the guys back home?”

Sousuke gently puts a hand over Rin’s mouth before he works himself up too much. “It’s a bit late to be asking me that, we’re two whole train rides away from your apartment. Besides,” and Sousuke flashes a warm smile down at Rin, “you already went through my bag this morning. And last night. And after I’d packed it. Just in case. If I’ve forgotten anything, it’s technically your fault.”

Rin pinches Sousuke’s hip and clicks his tongue impertinently. “Whatever,” he says, although he grins, sharp teeth glinting in the fluorescent lights. “Hey, you remembered all the souvenirs for _you_ , right?” Rin suddenly asks, sitting up straight and reaching for Sousuke’s backpack. “I put the picture from the bridge climb in here, and your certificate from the shark diving, and all the maps and ticket stubs from Luna Park, but there was that paper bag you got at the aquarium – I couldn’t find it anywhere.”

“I’ve got it,” Sousuke reassures Rin, scratching the back of Rin’s neck rather like one would pet a dog. “Don’t worry.” And he taps the breast pocket of the jacket he’s wearing, the one where you’re supposed to keep your phone. He unzips it and pulls the little white paper bag out. “I was going to wait until we actually had to say goodbye, but I guess you can have it now.” And he grabs one of Rin’s hand, making Rin hold it out, palm up. Sousuke crinkles the paper to open the bag, tipping the content into Rin’s palm. “There you go,” Sousuke murmurs. “A souvenir of my trip for you, Rin.”

“For me?” Rin asks, and he looks down at his hand. “Oh, whoa!” Sousuke has tipped a leather cord into Rin’s hand, delicate silver filigree holding a real shark’s tooth to the fastening. “It’s a shark’s tooth!” Rin exclaims happily, holding the necklace up so he can inspect the tooth. Well over an inch long, serrated, and almost perfectly triangular, the tooth is polished and lacquered, and Rin nearly pokes himself in the eye with it in his mad scramble to put the cord over his head. “Thank you, Sou!” he bleats, turning the tooth over in his fingers. “I can’t believe you bought this without me even realising!”

Sousuke leans forwards to kiss Rin soundly. “It’s an oceanic whitetip tooth,” he explains. “From the upper jaw. I wanted to get you a bullshark tooth, but they were sold out.” Sousuke shrugs his shoulders. “It can be your good luck charm – and,” Sousuke’s fingers overlap with Rin’s as he lifts the tooth and kisses the centre of it, “a placeholder until I can kiss an Olympic gold medal around your neck, okay?”

That really does make Rin cry, and he flops against Sousuke’s side even as the arm of the chair digs into his waist. They stay like that until Sousuke has to start making his way through passport control, and Rin clings to Sousuke’s arm as long as possible. “I love you,” he says, grabbing Sousuke’s face and pressing their lips together filthily. “Don’t get lost on the plane, please.”

Sousuke flicks Rin’s temple, but kisses him back anyway. “I won’t,” he promises. “Alright. You have to let go now, love,” Sousuke says, try to prise Rin’s hands off his arm. “Come on, I can’t give Haru a hard time for you if you don’t let me get on the plane.”

“That’s true,” Rin says after a few moments of consideration. And then, after several more kisses and murmured, ‘I have to go’, and ‘But I don’t want you to go’, Rin finally releases Sousuke’s arm. “Call me when you land, okay? I don’t care what the time difference is. And then call me when you get back to your place.”

“I’m not going to get lost between the airport and my apartment,” Sousuke drawls, but they both know that that’s happened before, so he agrees to Rin’s terms.

When he gets on the plane, his arm feels cold, already missing the familiar warmth. Not having Rin right beside him has always been the biggest change in his life, every time it happens.  

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment and leave kudos!


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